Magnolia - A Depiction of Varied Emotions - Essay Example

Magnolia- A Depiction of Varied Emotions Every life and every individual has faced regrets in his or her life. It is impossible to say that there is anything in this world that has not faced regrets in his or her life. As there is a saying “… There is no such thing as a life without any regrets.” The film Magnolia, which was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson in 1991, is also based on regrets to some extent. The plot of the story says that the movie is about nine different people who have faced regrets in their lives. The saying on regret mentioned above is the best way to sum up or describe the plot and story of this movie. In this movie, every person is related or their story is linked and connected with the other person. Therefore, every scene and story of every individual in the movie consists of complex situations which get along very well with each other. "Magnolia" is a film of sadness and loss, of lifelong bitterness, of children harmed and adults destroying themselves. (Magnolia Movie Review & Film Summary (1999) | Roger Ebert) It is said that Magnolia is not one of those movies which could be understood by every viewer. Even when Magnolia was released worldwide in 1999, there were many viewers and those who reviewed the movie, their responses were quite conventional regarding it. They believe that it is a representation of emotional vulnerability. Therefore, due to these reasons, this movie can be looked through various aspects, perspectives, and prism as it includes a religious world and dimension. After releasing the first trailer of this movie, it demonstrates that the movie about love which is either lost, gained, given, or withheld according to different situations. Basically, the religious aspect which is given in this movie shows the action of trapping the conflicted sinners and miscreants due to their wrongdoings in past relationships of reprobating. As it is clearly shown that this movie does not really have a plot but it conveys a very strong message as well as some great views and points. As this movie is about the lives and doings of 9 to 11 individuals, it is really hard to have a specific plot on which a movie had to be directed but the least a good movie can do is to motivate and spread out a strong message to its viewers. Not only the movie brings forward the shortcomings and fear but also sexual and emotional abuse. It is said that the people and viewers who call this movie exemplary are “actively dodging the social gravity, the psychological resonance, and the emotional poignancy of the conflicts mined in the film’s sensitive writing and talented ensemble acting. Most of the Magnolia’s characters have hit a crisis point at the start of the story. (Lane, 2) Anderson’s (the director) only philosophy was that bigger is better which was proven right with the help of this movie. However there are certain points in the movie where the director has shown inability to create a good film. It would be one thing if Magnolia offered multiple points of view, but Anderson is really only concerned with his own: a heavy-handed, self-pitying indictment of bad parenting and its sorry effects. Anderson expands his timeworn theme with a motif about chance and destiny (MAGNOLIA) As this movie is basically based on 9 to 11 people’s lives who are faced with regrets, his biggest failure in this movie is technical failing. As from every person to the stories and scenes, everything is linked and correlated. Therefore, switching the stories and making right decision at the right time is a difficult task. Therefore, the narration and writing of this movie is very complex. He has not perfected it yet that the way he crosscuts and switches from one scene to another which eventually is not the match of temporal relationships. For instance, there was a scene where a couple breaks up at one second, and the next moment the whole movie is switched Stanley who was the genius boy, deciding to put a stop at playing the tawdry game show. Even Paul Thomas Anderson had allowed a lot of plans where it was unnecessary. It is said that even the reviewers and the critics have rated this movie fine but the director himself has weakened some aspects of the movie but putting up unnecessary and irrelevant things. Even though Paul Anderson’s Magnolia had his hype before its release, but the critics have commented that Magnolia undermines their efforts by becoming loopy in the final hour (MAGNOLIA) However, there are still people who consider it as the most amazing work of Paul Anderson. Magnolia offers hope and empowerment in a world where injustice is embedded in the many layers of society. Magnolia's power lies in its ethical vision and in its ability to touch the raw core of human brokenness. (Magnolia and the Signs of the Times: A Theological Reflection) If you take one or two of Paul Thomas Anderson’s film and compare it with Magnolia, then you can conclude it by saying that it was not considered as one of his best works because of the some dull mistakes he had made during the movie. Ironically, Anderson's first feature, Hard Eight, still remains his best work, a tough, concise neo-noir homage to Robert Bresson's Pickpocket. The flawed but entertaining Boogie Nights lacked economy and a clear point of view, but at least it showcased interesting characters and a provocative topic. (MAGNOLIA) This movie is a kind of film which has two perceptions and works totally in two different ways and perspectives. One of the view or aspect is that it tells some fascinating stories filled with interesting details. While on the contrary, it is also considered as the moral story as it conveys a very strong message to the people who are watching it and reading its reviews. However, this messaged is mentioned in terms of emotion. After we have felt the pain of these people, and felt the love of the policeman and the nurse, we have been taught something intangible, but necessary to know. (Magnolia Movie Review & Film Summary (1999) | Roger Ebert) The main message that the movie has given is that Magnolia takes us into the realm of hope, where healing begins to blossom. Magnolia offers hope and empowerment in a world where injustice is embedded in the many layers of society. It the theme behind Magnolia is divine for all those who wish to bring about a change in their life or are suffering from pessimism.Magnolia's power lies in its ethical vision and in its ability to touch the raw core of human brokenness. (The DVD Journal: Magnolia: Platinum Series) “Yet the most talked of scene is undoubtedly the finale, in which, for reasons that aren’t explained, frogs rain from the sky. Much like the audience, our characters are baffled by its occurrence yet, in context, it serves as a reputable plot thread that rounds up the narrative.” (The Luke Allen Review Page) In the end, the movie has amazing performances, amazing cinematography, amazing characters, amazing direction, an amazing middle, but it has a very uncalled for ending which ultimately feels and comes out of left field to the point where it takes you out the movie. Hence in a nutshell the movie could have been far more better if more attention had been given on the ending to make it a visual treat for all cinema lovers as well as critics. (Movie Review - "MAGNOLIA") As every viewer and critique has criticized that the last one hour or so has been not very good for the movie as it has left some points which fade an individual’s interest from this movie. The ending is quite crucial for any movie as it leaves a profound impact on the entire experience of the movie. If the ending is not as precise as it should be then the entire movie seems to be disoriented. The ending of this movie is really a weak point for this movie. In an interview with the director, he has pointed out that the first show of the film was 20 minutes longer than the actual released version and he later had to cut down those 20 minutes in order to manage a 3 hour movie. There are still questions being raised whether it was the right decision taken by the team of Magnolia. People still doubt whether the choice of cutting down on the scenes was right for the movie. Had those 20 minutes not cut down and the movie had not ended abruptly. The abrupt ending of the movie has made it quite difficult for the viewers to digest the entire movie. Would those 20 minutes helped to place a more complex view of race relations in LA. The entire plot of the movie seems quite vague now as the ending was not as vivid as it should have been. These questions are still unanswered. Works Cited "MAGNOLIA." Find Movie Reviews at FilmJournal.com- Get Movie Box Office Results. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. . "Movie Review - "MAGNOLIA" 1999 by David-Dennis on deviantART." David-Dennis (David Dennis) on deviantART. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. . "The DVD Journal: Magnolia: Platinum Series ." The DVD Journal | DVD News, Reviews, Rumors, and Commentary. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. Read More